A Journey Well Traveled: Utilizing Leadership and Allyship as Building Blocks to Success

KENDRICK BROWN ’93 Provost, Morehouse College Ph.D., M.A., Social Psychology, University of Michigan | B.S., Psychology, University of Mount Union

Kendrick Brown chose Mount Union as he sought a challenge academically. Not only was this request for a challenge fulfilled, but the institution also provided Brown with his initial leadership opportunities. Although he was unaware of it at the time, his decision to choose a challenge would aid him in his journey to become provost at Morehouse College.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Brown decided to attend Mount Union after receiving a Presidential Scholarship and being able to experience campus during his initial visit. During his early days at Mount, Brown was elected president of the freshman honors society, Alpha Lambda Delta; this would be the beginning of Brown’s efforts to develop his leadership. His extracurricular learning came through leadership opportunities in student organizations and student government positions, including Mount Union’s Black Student Union.

“I connected with the campus when I came to visit. It was the little things that added up, and it just made sense,” Brown said. “Little did I know that getting a liberal arts education would be the focus of what I would do for just about the rest of my life.”

Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in psychology with the support of advisor Dr. Steven Kramer, Brown went on to earn his Master of Arts degree and doctorate in psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Although Brown had been accepted into multiple Ivy League schools, Michigan stood out to him because there were prominent Black alumni in the field of psychology who began their journeys at Michigan.

{BY DARNELL TUCKER ’15} Impactful Research

Brown’s graduate research focused on allyship and attempting to understand the conditions in which people who have different social statuses effectively interact and learn from others. Traditionally, allyship is discussed from the perspective of a majority population and how they can become allies to those of a minority population. But Brown had an interesting take on allyship that had not been brought to light in the field of psychology. This led him to research allyship from the perspective of people of color. “You can think of allies as having two kinds of essential characteristics – interpersonal support, which determines an ally’s affiliation and how supportive and non-judgmental the ally is, and informed action, which is being an ally that does something in their own community and not just when they are around people of color,” Brown said. “When looking at the With a solid base in leadership and beginning his research in allyship, Brown was now off to continue his professional journey. After his time at Michigan, Brown went on to Macalester College where he taught as a tenured professor of psychology and was eventually promoted to associate dean of the faculty.

“When I was in grad school, I asked myself, ‘What is it that I want to do when I have my degree?’” Brown said. “And my thought went back to Mount Union again. What kind of education did I get? I got an education that allowed me to interact with faculty and enjoy a small campus experience, and this led to what I want to do.”

With 18 years of experience and continued development of his leadership skills in faculty and administrative roles, Brown went on to become the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Redlands. Through this rich experience, Brown felt prepared to take the next step in his journey with his current role as provost at Morehouse.

“As a leader, you have to know what things you personally have to touch and the things that require you to simply interact with people who you trust to accomplish them,” explained Brown. “The roots of my leadership expression started at Mount Union in having the various leadership opportunities in student organiza-

tions. What does it take to lead? What’s the work you have to do? How can you be responsive to the people who are looking for you to lead? These are the experiences that prepared me.”

Advice to Future Leaders

Brown’s advice to future leaders is to note that leadership will look different to everyone. Effective leaders give their time and energy to provide the small things such as just being present in spaces where you can provide assistance. Brown notes that valuable experience along the journey involves including other people by participating in organizations and being open to replacing “I” with “we.”

“If your notion of leadership is myopic, you miss the opportunity to connect with people, to learn from other people, challenge yourself, and expand who you are,” Brown said. “We need a multi-faceted complex notion of leadership that is expansive enough that many of us can experience it.”

15